Spool assembly



y 1962 J. H. w. RHEIN 3,036,792

SPOOL ASSEMBLY Filed Dec. 24, 1958 Mi :4 2s

United States Patent 3,036,792 SPOOL ASSEMBLY John H. W. Rhein, Seaford, DeL, assignor to E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Wilmington, DeL, a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 24, 1958, Ser. No. 782,743 1 Claim. (Cl. 242-1182) This invention relates generally to the packaging of yarn and, more particularly, to a spool assembly especially adapted for use in handling twisted high-denier yarns.

In normal practice, cordage yarn and the like is produced by twisting multiple ends to heavy duty twister spools. Such heavy duty spools are required because of the high tensions involved in the twisting and spooling of the yarn bundle. For the purpose of reducing investment in spools and to facilitate shipping, the twisted yarn is subsequently re-spooled on an inexpensive paper or cardboard tube.

The most important object of the present invention is the provision of a spool assembly, the use of which eliminates the necessity of the re-spooling operation.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a spool assembly which includes both heavy duty components and a liner which, upon disassembly, has the yarn wound thereon ready for shipping.

A further important object of the present invention is the provision of fittings on the heavy duty components which facilitate quick and easy removal of the dual purpose spool liner therefrom after the yarn has been wound on the liner.

With these and other objects in view, the spool assembly of the present invention comprises generally a spool barrel having a first flange integral therewith and a second flange detachably connected thereto, and a liner having a core which telescopes on the barrel as well as end flanges which are in engagement with the first and second flanges when the spool is assembled.

In the description which follows, reference is made to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the spool assembly of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the spool and liner of FIG. 1, parts of the spool having been broken away to reveal details of construction;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal section through the assembly of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a spool barrel having longitudinal slots formed therein.

Referring now to the drawing, the numeral designates a spool assembly which includes, as components thereof, a heavy duty spool 12 and a lightweight cardboard liner 14 onto which the twisted yarn is wound.

The spool 12 has an elongated, hollow, tubular barrel 16 at one end of which a first flange 18 is integrally attached. At the other end, a second flange 20 is attached by means of threads on a central extension 22 of flange 20. Shoulders 24, 26 are provided at the respective ends of the barrel 16 when the spool 12 is assembled. Shoulder 24 is integral with barrel 16 whereas shoulder 26 is an enlargement of extension 22. On its outer face, flange 20 is provided with fittings 28 into which a spanner wrench may be inserted for removal of the flange 20. There is also provided a recessed plate 30* on flange 20 which receives a lug (not shown) by means of which the spool 12 is keyed to a drive spindle.

The liner 14 includes a core 32 and a pair of end flanges 34. Within the core 32 there is positioned a tubular reinforcement member 36. The flanges 34 are each reinforced and held in place relative to core 32 by flange fastening means including a perforated disc 38 and a crimp- Patented May 29, 1962 ing ring or grommet member 40 which serves to connect the disc 38 to the reinforcement member 36.

In assembly, the second flange 20 is removed from barrel 16 and a liner 14 is telescoped thereon. The inside diameter of reinforcement member 36 is greater than the outside diameter of barrel 16 and has a tight fit on shoulder 24. As the flange 20 is screwed into position, the other shoulder 26 similarly engages liner 14 in a tight fit. The inner surfaces of flanges 18 and 20 are recessed as shown at 42 to receive disc 38 and grommet member 40. The end flanges 34 are therefore in bearing engagement with flanges 18 and 20. In order to insure proper rigid support for the yarn, the diameter of flanges 34 should not exceed appreciably the diameter of the spool flanges 18, 20.

After yarn 46 has been wound on liner 14, spool assembly 10 is disassembled to permit separation of the spooled liner 14 and barrel 16. As such, the package 14, 46 is ready for shipment.

As shown in FIG. 4, barrel 16 may be provided with a plurality of longitudinal slots 44, the presence of which insures easy removal of liner 14 even though core 32 and reinforcement member 36 may have been crushed and pressed into engagement therewith as the result of the high-winding tensions applied in the twisting and packaging operation.

The spool assembly disclosed herein is particularly use ful in the packaging and handling of twisted high-denier yarns such as cordage, sewing thread and the like. The disassembly feature eliminates the conventional re-spook ing operation since it permits direct packaging of the yarn on an inexpensive, lightweight shipping tube. This omission of a handling step not only reduces handling costs but also the likelihood of yarn damage while re spooling. With only slight modifications and without departing from the spirit of the invention, the disclosed spool assembly can easily be adapted for use in beaming or other textile operations. Other inherent advantages will occur readily to those skilled in the art and the extent of the invention is accordingly intended to be limited only by the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

A spool assembly comprising: a spool barrel having laterally extending flanges at each end thereof, one of said flanges being detachably mounted on the barrel and there being an enlargement at each end of the barrel; and a spool liner including a tubular core, a pair of end flanges, a perforated disc in engagement with each end flange, and a grommet member interconnecting each disc and the core, the minimum inside diameter of said core being greater than the diameter of said barrel, said end flanges each being in bearing engagement with one of the barrel flanges, said liner having a tight fit on said enlargement whereby to prevent relative movement between the liner and said barrel, and said barrel flanges each being recessed on the inner surface thereof to receive said perforated disc, the difference in diameter between the barrel and tubular core permitting the latter to yield as yarn is wound thereon under tension, said barrel being tubular and provided with a plurality of slots extending longitudinally thereof between said enlargements.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

